Supported Internships Shipley College, near Keighley, Bingley, Bradford, West Yorkshire

What is a supported internship?

Supported Internships are a structured work based study programme for young people aged 16-24 with additional needs who want to get in to work. Being given the opportunity of an Internship can be a life changing for our interns. Many of the employers we work in partnership with have also reported that being involved in the programme has been great for their business and employees.

We are always looking for supportive local businesses to provide real job opportunities. This is a fantastic opportunity to get involved, for more information please see our dedicated Supported Internship programme or the course information page for Supported Internships.

Benefits of taking on a Supported Intern:

A loyal, capable and reliable intern who will make a productive contribution to your organisation at no cost - during the programme the interns are not paid by the employer.
Cost free recruitment if you choose to employ the intern once they have learned the required skills and proved themselves in the work setting.
Your business can be more productive as your employees can focus on their main areas of priority and delegate other tasks to the intern.
Your logo could be placed on the Supported Internship Programme College website and linked directly to your website.
You could become a Disability Confident Employer.

How we support our Employers:

Additional staff resource for support: We can provide one-to-one support to help the intern learn the role. Appropriate levels of support will be discussed with individual employers.
Health & Safety: Under Health & Safety legislation, employees with a disability or learning difficulty are treated the same as any other employee of the same age
Additional insurance: Employers' liability insurance covers all employees, including young people on the Supported Internship Programme.

How to get involved with the supported internship programme:

For more information or to get involved Contact our Supported Internships Team and we can help you find a suitable Supported intern to help meet you business need.

Leeds City Law firm Ison Harrison, initially took on Supported Intern Jack, 20, for a supported internship placement. They were so pleased with his work and attitude, that they offered him permanent employment.

'Ison Harrison were delighted to be asked to take part in the scheme and started to consider suitable roles and tasks for a supported intern. The Supported Internship Programme at Shipley College matched us with a suitable candidate and after a successful interview, the placement was agreed. The support Shipley College provided to our intern, Jack, was quite intensive initially, but reduced as Jack’s skills, experience and confidence developed, with him working completely independently, within a relatively short space of time. We had seen the Supported Internship as a short-term placement only but now we employ Jack on a permanent contract. He does a great job and is employed on his own merit. We would not hesitate to recommend the programme to other employers.'
Paul Allinson